ISLAMABAD: A proposal to abolish dual citizenship for members of the bureaucracy gained momentum on Monday as a parliamentary committee endorsed restrictions on civil servants holding multiple nationalities and called for extending the ban to judges.
The decision was taken during a meeting of the National Assembly Standing Committee on the Cabinet Secretariat, chaired by Ibrar Ahmed, where members supported barring bureaucrats from possessing dual nationality.
Lawmakers argued that if elected representatives were constitutionally prohibited from holding dual citizenship, the same principle should apply to senior state officials.
Committee member Noor Alam Khan questioned the continuation of what he termed a privilege for bureaucrats, saying the standard must be uniform across state institutions.
Minister of State Tahira Aurangzeb shared a personal example, stating that her daughter had renounced Australian citizenship in order to contest elections and enter parliament.
Cabinet Secretary Kamran Ali Afzal informed the committee that the government was ready to initiate legislation if parliament decided to formalize the restriction.
The Establishment Division briefed members that dual citizenship was legally recognised in 21 countries, though some individuals acquired additional nationalities beyond those agreements. The committee chairman said a final decision would be taken on February 16.
The meeting also reviewed Pakistan’s participation in the US President Donald Trump’s Gaza Peace Board. Committee member Agha Rafiullah inquired about the submission of the summary to the cabinet, to which the Cabinet Secretary responded that the proposal had been unanimously approved on the recommendation of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs.
Separately, the committee discussed a proposal to grant a Rs90,000 travel allowance to federal secretaries.
Noor Alam Khan criticized what he described as unequal application of privileges, noting that while lawmakers faced restrictions, government officers continued to receive extensive benefits. He highlighted that officials already provided with government vehicles were, in some cases, also drawing travel allowances in violation of existing policy.
The committee chairman directed the Cabinet Division to strengthen oversight mechanisms to ensure compliance with regulations, though the Cabinet Division secretary opposed removing the requirement for officers to submit compliance certificates.